1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to computer memory storage systems and, more particularly, to a vibration isolator mounting apparatus for computer hard disk storage.
2. Description of the Related Art
Modern computer hard disk drives are required to operate while subjected to various mechanical vibrations and impact loads. These vibrations and impacts are created not only from general handling and storage of the computer, but also during operation of the computer as a result of the various motors and other moving parts within the computer. Most hard disk drives employ several magnetic disks for storing information and one or more read/write heads to transfer information to and from each magnetic disk. When vibrations and impacts are transferred to the magnetic disk and read/write head, the head will be displaced from the proper position or track on the disk and errors will occur. Accordingly, these loads must be dampened and absorbed such that the movement of the disk drive is partially isolated from the movement of the other components of the disk drive in order to prevent poor performance and potential damages to the disk drive.
Further complicating matters is the fact that computers, including hard disk drives, have become progressively smaller and more portable in recent years. As computers become more portable, increased data storage capacity must be compressed into ever smaller physical spaces. The size of hard drives has now become relatively standardized and therefore any isolator system must fit within the specified standard form factor of the specific drive type. However, the need for increased data storage capacity has resulted in such high packaging density of the mechanical and electronic components that most drives do not have adequate room to "design in" isolators without exceeding this form factor. In addition, portable computers are subjected to more extreme vibrations and impacts than traditional computers and experience them more often. The result of this combination of harsh conditions and decreased space is a desperate need for isolation systems that dampen mechanical vibrations and impacts effectively while occupying a very small amount of space.
In the past, spring suspension systems have been used to isolate the disk drive from the source of the impact or vibration. However, these systems took up a significant amount of space because of the spring travel required for proper operation. With disk space at such a premium, this wasted space is no longer acceptable.
Another known method of isolating the movement of the disk drive is to use energy absorbing elastomers. However, many of the prior inventions using these elastomers simply formed this dampening material into resilient feet or grommets and located them at the corners of a rigidly mounted disk drive. Other known techniques form the dampening material into a washer-type shape that acts as a buffer between the external components and the disk drive and is secured in place by a bolt or some other appropriate connector. Although these methods are relatively effective at isolating the movement of the disk drive, each still takes up valuable space that could be more efficiently utilized by additional magnetic disks for increasing the information storage capacity.